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NCAA MEN'S REGIONAL SEMIFINALS AND FINALS: KANSAS CITY

March 25, 2017

Kansas City, Missouri

Oregon - 74, Kansas - 60

THE MODERATOR: We are joined now by the Kansas Jayhawks, Coach Bill Self, student-athletes tonight are Frank Mason III and Landen Lucas. Coach, we will turn to you for an opening statement.

BILL SELF: Well, we're obviously very disappointed that we didn't perform better today, but give Oregon credit. They were the aggressor and certainly controlled the game almost from the jump.

So we certainly needed to play a lot better today and didn't do it. Congratulations to them. It's obviously a disappointing evening for us, but that doesn't take away the biggest picture of how these guys have played all year and certainly represented their school and each other. So sad, but still yet proud.

Q. Frank, with under three minutes to go, you guys were up six, forced them into a desperation shot, it caromed off of three people's hands and they got possession. How critical was that possession for them?
FRANK MASON III: You mean we were down six? Yeah, but, that was a critical possession. If we would have got the ball on that possession, gave us a chance to make it a one or two possession game. We just couldn't come up with the ball.

Q. Bill, how much did Jordan Bell disrupt this game for you guys? You like to attack the basket. That didn't seem to be there at all tonight.
BILL SELF: No, he did a great job to get eight blocked shots. He controlled and anchored their defense very well, and I certainly understand why he was Player of the Year in the Pac-12. But even with that being said, there were numerous times where I thought especially when we got to the bonus relatively early in the second half that we could have done a better job of trying to draw fouls driving the ball as opposed to shooting so many semi or guarded threes that we came up empty on.

Q. For all of you, after the Purdue game Thursday, Coach talked about when you go this far into the tournament you play teams that are really good. Other than Dorsey's individual play and the aggressiveness that Coach just talked about in what ways do you feel like Oregon was really good tonight?
LANDEN LUCAS: I feel like they were the more aggressive team. They did the small things that helped their team win and they had some players that made some great plays. Just combined for a good team effort.

FRANK MASON III: I think they rebounded the ball really well. They did a good job on the defensive end, and I think they shared the ball really well.

BILL SELF: I believe that, you know, in games like this, so much of it comes down to 50/50 balls and it seemed like to me they got their hands and were able to secure a lot of loose balls. The other thing they did a great job of was how many times did they make shots at the end of the clock that were pretty well defended.

We're down five and hadn't played very well in the first half with a minute 50 left and they bang in those two -- well, they banged in the two threes in the last 45 seconds that made a close game, an 11-point game and certainly put a lot of game pressure on us.

Q. Coach, we're used to KU runs. Was it frustrating not to be able to go on one of those? Seemed like there was a chance to regain momentum several times, couldn't hit the big shot and they rebounded?
BILL SELF: I think so. We shot it pretty quick. When things aren't going well you've got to be patient enough and disciplined enough maybe to give them just a little bit of a chance to break down, and we didn't do that on some key possessions. But if the ball goes in, it looks good. And the ball has gone in for us the entire tournament and tonight it didn't.

But it wasn't from a lack of -- I can't believe how hard our guys tried. We just couldn't really get out of our own way today very well.

Q. Bill, you just alluded to it, Dorsey's two shots at the end of the first half. You guys have come back from double digit deficits all year long, but I wonder if there was a different feeling or sense going into the locker room at halftime? Your last two were a couple of turnovers and their last two were those crazy Dorsey shots.
BILL SELF: They went two for one, there was about -- we had -- I can't remember how exactly it happened, but we take a bad shot or turn it over with about 50 left. I'm thinking they're going two for one, and he drove it hard and stopped and made a hard shot. It hit every part of the rim, hit the backboard and went through. Then there at the end, unfortunately for us, the thinking is, you know, kids are trying hard.

So in that situation we got it out quick when there is an eight-second differential that's the time you want to let it bounce and let it bounce and get the differential down to 2 or 3 seconds so you can play for the last shot and they don't have a chance to score late and then he banked in one late.

It was probably a different feel because in all honesty in the games that we've come back where we've been behind, I think it was a situation where we weren't playing against athletes a lot of times of what Oregon has.

Q. Just wanted to ask you guys, given the history Kansas has had some struggles at this stage of the tournament over the years. Being at home with the way Oregon got off to the start that it did, was there any tightness on your guys' part, do you think?
FRANK MASON III: Yeah, I think so. I think we started the game really tight. We didn't take good shots to where we should have just moved the ball and draw the ball downhill and created easy shots for each other.

Q. Bill, I think Josh had two fouls probably before you had a chance to sit down. How much did that change the first half in what you guys wanted to do?
BILL SELF: I think anytime you take out one of the best ten players in the country, it obviously is going to affect you in some way.

I didn't see his second foul, so I don't have a feel for that. But I think it was a hand check if I'm not mistaken. But, you know, our team has been really good, but we haven't had as big of a margin for error in some ways as some other teams because we only play six guys basically and filling in with the seventh. You take an All-American talent off the floor certainly that did change things from a momentum standpoint, especially when they were playing very well.

Q. Coach, I know that a lot of this season sometimes fair or not will get remembered and judged by what happens at the end. How much will this one as you think ahead, stick with you just knowing the season that you've had and the group you've had this season?
BILL SELF: Well, they all stick with me and they'll stick with the players that have been a part of it. I'm disappointed more for them than I am for me. These guys put us in a situation to play for the highest stakes, and today we just came up short. Sure it's going to stick with us. But the one thing that did happen today, it's hard to admit, the best team did win today. Today, I don't think we every really gave our -- put our best foot forward like we have very consistently all season long.

Q. Coach, could you offer a comment about Frank and Landen's careers here?
BILL SELF: Well, I think they know how we all feel about them and certainly how I feel about them. They've been unbelievable and the story that -- everybody's got stories, but the paths that these two took to get to the point that they've been and what a big part of our program they have both been is pretty amazing and remarkable.

Landen has had an unbelievable last two and a half years playing for us, unbelievable, and he does so many things that doesn't get recognized. But he's a great, great teammate and good guy.

Frank had the best year of anybody I've ever coached, and he's as tough as anybody I've ever coached. He loves this place as much as anybody I've ever coached, and I hurt for them. Certainly they've left their legacy and certainly should be very proud of their accomplishments.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, Coach and gentlemen. We will let you go. Thank you for coming, congratulations on a tremendous season.

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